The 10 Secrets To Staying Employed

For years, people who study workplace trends have been predicting companies will outsource as much work as possible and hire fewer traditional employees. What does this mean for you? That you should maintain a “job search” mindset at all times.

Staying employed involves more than just doing a good job. Here are 10 things you can do right now to tip the odds in your favor:

1. Focus on accomplishments
You deliver value to your organization by amassing accomplishments, and there are only three ways to do that: make the organization money, save the organization money, or develop something new for the organization. Your value will increase in your organization and in the marketplace if you can point to tangible results that you have achieved, either directly or indirectly.

2. Volunteer for assignments
Be the first person to say yes to a new assignment, project, or committee, if you believe that your participation will lead to tangible accomplishments that you can tout at your next performance review, list on your application for an internal promotion, or add to your resume.

3. Provide value to your boss
You should have a clear understanding of what is important to your boss and how you can help him or her attain tangible accomplishments. Become the person who your boss turns to when something important needs to be done.

4. Focus
Make certain that you are not spread too thin. Focusing on one or two projects, activities, or initiatives will increase the probability that you will achieve tangible accomplishments.

5. Become a valued resource rather than a readily available commodity
If you are just one of the many accountants, claims representatives, or sales consultants in your organization, you will be viewed as a commodity that can be easily replaced. Develop a unique expertise, clientele, or knowledge base.

6. Avoid becoming an expert in non-marketable arenas
If you focus on becoming an expert in an aging technology, product, or service, you will eventually become a dinosaur and a prime candidate for the next round of layoffs.

7. Don’t make enemies
You never know what might happen if you make an enemy within your organization. Your enemy could speak ill of you to your boss, spread damaging rumors about you, or even become your next boss. Provide the best service possible to all of your internal customers. Make certain you do not intentionally embarrass or speak ill of others in the organization.

8. Don’t finger point
It is easier to change your own behavior than to change the behavior of others. Instead of pointing fingers at other departments or other people, focus instead on what you can do to improve the situation.

9. Be visible
If you just hide out in your office or cubicle, you will not develop the relationships with others in the organization that can help you stay employed.

10. Work on assignments that are core to the business
If you focus on working on activities that are at the periphery of the organization’s core business, you too will all be viewed as peripheral.